What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride
Rosa Centifolia Flower Water
Skin ConditioningOenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
AstringentLavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Cleansing
Urtica Dioica Extract
AstringentCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Keratin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Ceteareth-20
CleansingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Myroxylon Pereirae Oil
Masking
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil
Astringent
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil
Masking
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Jasminum Officinale Oil
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Cinnamate
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Stearyl Alcohol, Gluconolactone, Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Panthenol, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Keratin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Menthyl Lactate, Ceteareth-20, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Alcohol, Myroxylon Pereirae Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Jasminum Officinale Oil, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Cinnamate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
